Recently, I have noticed that podcasts performed by Marie (L’avis de Marie) are much slower than those performed by Isabelle (Balades), after playing one of each podcast, back to back. In order to prove this to be true or false, I used a website that allows you to paste text into a window, and the site’s application will perform a word and character count:

I then compare the length of the MP3 to the number of words/characters spoken. After several comparisons, I have a general idea of how many words they speak per unit of time. Here is an excellent example. In L’avis de Marie #150, there are 1323 words and 7626 characters. Marie uses 11 minutes and six seconds to give her podcast.

In Balades #32, there are 1308 words and 7646 characters. Isabelle gives her podcast in nine minutes and thirty eight seconds. That is a little over ten percent faster than Marie, and it is noticeable to me. The bottom line is to use the podcast that is easiest to understand, and also has more features. The final fifty podcasts for Marie, featured an automatic cue function, where you place your arrow on the text and click. The MP3 automatically cues itself at that location. This is very practical when you are trying to master a certain phrase, and would like to hear it several times in a small period of time.

Notes: In this essay, I wanted to use a few phrases, like “bottom line” to force myself to look up French equivalents. The Linguee English-French website gives me bénéfice net as an option, with a lesser used résultat financier listed. The external sources show other ways to establish the noun phrase, like “en un mot”, “des bénéfices”, “résultats”, “ce qui importe” and of course, the French often simply use the English phrase itself:

English: But Rogers has a “bottom line“approach, meaning that its interest is in knowing how much can be made.

Hello everyone and welcome to my podcast “Walks”, the last one before the summer break. It is July 21 and I propose to you today, first of all to go to the beach with me. Then you can guess the name of a famous French personality. I will finish this program with a tip to prepare your holidays in France.

When I was a child, we always spent our summer holidays on the Cote d’Azur. And of course we went every day to the beach. At the time, the nearest beach was not very attractive and did not look clean. That’s why we were always on the Larvotto beach in Monaco, which was a few minutes drive from our place of residence. This beach had the advantage of being monitored, regularly cleaned and, most important to me, there were plenty of shops and restaurants along the beach.

My sister and I used to go every day to get ice creams from our favorite ice cream store. They were delicious and there was a great selection of flavors: melon, pistachio, Jamaican with grapes were my favorites. On the way back, we took the time to look at what the shops offered as goods: colored buoys, bikinis, beach towels, jellyfish [1] of all colors and especially flip flops with a large plastic daisy [2] on top.

For me, it was the pair of shoes of the summer. I was dreaming about it before the holidays started. I could not imagine anything more beautiful than these daisy flip-flops, and I never took them off all summer. Do you know if this model still exists? I have not seen such flip-flops for a long time. Pity ! Another advantage of this beach was the possibility of renting pedal boats. One day I had to be 15, 16 years old, my sister and I went to the rental station [3] of these pedal boats.

Two young people of barely 20 years of age took care of renting the pedal boats, but also sunbeds and parasols [5] for the day. To rent a pedal boat, you had to fill out a form, pay the rental price in advance and deposit a piece of identification [6] as a deposit. When I handed my ID card to one of the young people, he looked at the photo, took a shocked look and shouted, “Ahh, evacuate the beach!” Okay, My picture was indeed not really flattering [8], but to the young man, it was downright ugly. Well, we laughed all the same.

In the last show, you had to find the sportswoman Jeannie Longo, who dominated women’s cycling for years. Thanks to Lou for the correct answer. The personality to guess today is – or rather was – the opposite of Longo’s cyclist. This time, it is a man whose name you must find. Even if died more than 30 years ago, his legacy [10], of which I will immediately speak of , makes him unforgettable. But let’s start at the beginning. In France, everyone knows the name of this man.

In the 70s and 80s, he was seen in several films. Most of his films are not masterpieces. For his role of the pompist [11] in “Tchao Pantin” of Claude Berry however, he won the Caesar for best actor. He is probably even better known as a humorist with red noses and cheeks, who wore blue overalls [12]. In his sketches that he played on stage or on the radio, he liked to criticize society and especially the political life in France. And there was no dead hand [13]. With his sarcastic tone, he left no one indifferent [14]. There were those who found him very funny and the others who hated him and reproached him for being extremely rude [15].

Besides, his motto was: always rude, never vulgar. He decides to run in the presidential elections of 1981. But after threats [16], he gave up, and he could have wonup to 16% of the votes. In 1985, he pronounced the sentence which begins: “I have an idea like that …”. This will be the start of Restos du cœur. With friends from the entertainment world – actors, singers, etc. – and the support of brands, he sets up a kind of canteen. In these canteens, which are found first in Paris, then in other cities of France, the poorest receive a free meal.

To draw attention to these restaurants and to raise funds [17], he contacted the singer-songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman to compose a song. This song became a video. It must be said that hew was interpreted by celebrities: in addition to Jean-Jacques Goldman, and himself, there were Yves Montand, actress Nathalie Baye, footballer Michel Platini and presenter Michel Drucker. This group was then called “Les Enfoirés” [18]. Again, our person to guess remains faithful to his motto, not to do it politically correct. Barely a year later, in 1986, he died tragically in a motorcycle accident at only 41 years old.

Restos du cœur still exist and other integration projects [19] have been added to them. Les Enfoirés also performs on stage each year with a variety of artists to support the Restos du cœur. Do you have any idea who this is? As a last clue I can tell you that he was known by his stage name which was derived from his surname Colucci. Have you found it now? Then write down his name in the comments on podclub.ch.

For all those who intend to drive in France, whether this summer or at another time of the year, I have a suggestion for you: “Before leaving, check out Bison Smart [20]” . Who is Bison Smart? Well, Smart Bison is an Indian who represents the French government’s roadside information service. At the beginning of August 1975, enormous traffic jams [21] of more than 600 km were created on the RN 10, the national road 10, which connects Paris to the Spanish border. The government is obliged to take steps to ensure that such chaos does not happen again. These measures are therefore, first of all, to ensure that not all holidaymakers leave at the same time.

Second, to create bis routes, routes which avoid conjested streets [22]. And finally, the third point, to inform motorists of the road situation. By the summer of 1976, these measures were being implemented, and it was working. There are 30% fewer jams. Even today, the media regularly inform motorists about traffic on holiday routes. For this, Smart Bison uses colors: green means that the circulation is more or less normal. Orange, there the traffic is dense and locally difficult. When it’s red, then traffic is very dense and traffic is very difficult.

Eventually, when you have a black day, it means the traffic is extremely dense and traffic is exceptionally difficult. For example, Saturday 29 July will be one of the most difficult days of this summer. It corresponds to the traditional cross-chased [23] between the “Juilletists” [24], who return from vacation, and the “Augustois” [25] who go on vacation. This is why the day is classified as “black” in the sense of departures throughout the country and “orange” and “red” in the direction of returns according to the region. Now you know how to organize your trips in France. Good road !

And this is the end of this show. I am looking forward to seeing you again after the holidays, on 25th August, on podclub.ch or on our application. I will then begin a new series where I will introduce you to the cities of France. The first city will be Nancy. In the meantime, I wish you a pleasant holiday. Rest yourself well and enjoy working your vocabulary thanks to the vocabulary function of our application. And join me on Instagram under #PodClubIsabelle and #balades. I kiss you and tell you soon for a new ride!

[1] medusa: name of plastic sandals
[2] daisy: flower with a yellow center and white petals
[3] rental: action to rent an object
[4] the deckchair: chaise longue
[5] umbrella: kind of large umbrella that protects from the sun
[6] identification: for example an identity card, a passport or a driving license
[7] evacuating: getting people out of a dangerous place
[8] flattering, -euse: advantageous
[9] ugly: (familiar) ugly
[10] inheritance (m): what is transmitted from one generation to another
[11] the pump attendant: person who takes care of petrol pumps in a gas station
[12] overalls: a garment consisting of trousers that goes up on the front and is held by a kind of straps
[13] Do not go there with the dead hand: act with dynamism or violence
[14] indifferent: who shows no emotion
[15] coarse, -that is not polite
[16] the threat: words or gestures by which someone is shown to be doing something wrong
[17] fund: capital, sum of money
[18] the bastard (m): (insulting) imbecile, person who is not respectful
[19] insertion (f): integration
[20] smart: clever, intelligent
[21] bottling (m): traffic congestion, stopper
[22] Axis (m): an important traffic route between two regions
[23] the cross-chase: the back and forth
[24] the juilletist: person who goes on vacation in July
[25] Aoûtien (m): person who goes on holiday in August

Hello everyone and welcome to my podcast “Strolls” this July 7th. Some of you may already be on vacation. Others, like me, still have to wait a little before leaving. If you suffer from heat in the city or in the office, my first theme is for you. Then I’ll talk about the Tour de France and a personality associated with this Tour, which you have to guess. Finally, you will know all about some picturesque expressions around the theme of the bike.

I love the change of the seasons and that’s why I always look forward to the arrival of summer. We can finally go out without having to bundle [1] in coats and we can enjoy the long summer evenings. To us small light dresses, flip-flops [2] and sunglasses. And then there’s the prospect of a summer vacation. It naturally puts you in a good mood. You can not find it? If only, there were not these periods of heat, where days of more than 30 degrees are followed by nights when temperatures no longer fall below 20 degrees.

And then the moisture … As time goes on [4] little by little, the weather becomes more and more heavy. One can only hope that a storm breaks out and brings a little freshness. Since I am one of those who can not stand the heat – for me, it means anything that exceeds 28 degrees – I try to prepare for the best at these times. Of course, I get up early to air out my apartment before it gets too hot. I lower the blinds and turn on my fan when it gets really unbearable. And then, I try not to go out between noon and 3 pm. Unfortunately, this is not always feasible.

When I am still obliged to go out, it is never without my secret weapon, the indispensable accessory at the moment: a fogger. It is a spray that diffuses a cloud of fine droplets [6] of water that can be applied to the face – even make-up – the neck [7] or the arms to refresh instantly. And this is even suitable for babies who are too hot. It was also for my daughter, when she was still very small, that I bought my first mister. Meanwhile, I became completely addicted [8] to these sprays and I wake [9] to always have one in my handbag. So, as soon as I start to perspire … bam, a little spray and I feel better.

Recently, I was just spraying [10] from my fogger, when a stranger who was next to me, walked away and looked suspiciously at me [11]. “It’s just water …” I said with a big smile. It did not seem to convince her. This is where I realized that these foggers are not as widespread [12] and known in Switzerland as they are in most supermarkets in France. Although … it is also beginning to find its way to Switzerland supermarkets [13], and not only in the pharmacy. Now you know my secret for hot days. And you, what are your strategies to withstand these high temperatures? Tell me in the comments on podclub.ch.

What happens every year in France in July, is about 3500 km long, and lasts about twenty days? Yes, it’s the Tour de France. And this year again, the riders have set up their bikes and try to win the Yellow Jersey [15] and arrive first at the Champs-Élysées, where the race ends. I must admit that sports results have never really interested me. On the other hand, what amuses me are the unusual events that accompany the peloton [16].

For example the spectators who follow the race. There are those who are disguised as superheroes, Gauls, and even those who are naked. And then there are the animals: the dogs, the horses and the cows that hinder the racers by crossing the road at the wrong time. You have to expect everything. But that’s part of the Tour de France folklore, is not it?

The French personality to guess today is – you can imagine – a cyclist [17] and has won the Tour de France, three times in a row [18], in 1987, 1988 and 1989, and has an unmatched record [19]: nearly 1,200 wins in total, world records and several Olympic medals! Much more than the legendary Eddy Merckx. It must be said that her sporting career is distinguished by her longevity [20]. In 2013, this personality finished second in the Grand Prix of Lucerne.

Do you have any idea who I am thinking about? Not yet ? I’m sure my last clue will put you on the right track. The personality sought after … is a woman. Find it? Then write down her name in the comments on podclub.ch.

Cycling is a sport that has inspired or is at the origin of several pictorial expressions. As always, there are too many to talk about in this podcast. That is why I have selected three of you; My three favorite. My first expression is “pedaling [21] in semolina” or “pedaling in sauerkraut” [23]. Imagine someone trying to ride a bicycle in semolina or sauerkraut. He could not move forward, it would not go.

When someone pedals in the semolina, he makes efforts in vain [24] or has lost the thread of his thought. “Ah, poor Bertrand, he is not ready to get out of it.” He pedals in the semolina. A similar phrase is “lose the pedals”. Here too, it can be used to say that one has lost the thread of his thought or his confidence: “During my presentation, I lost my train of thought [25]. I did not know what to say. It was very embarrassing. But this expression can also mean “going mad”. “When the plane was shaken, she completely lost her mind and started shouting, she was so scared.”

My last expression is much less dramatic. It is “getting back into the saddle”. In fact, it does not really relate to the bicycle because it refers to the saddle, the seat that is fixed on the back of a horse, for example, To sit on. But as we also talk about saddles for this little seat of the bike, I allowed myself to present this expression to you all the same. “Well, business has not worked well in recent months, competition has been tough.

But we are going to get back on track and overcome all these difficulties. Go to work! “. You can use that phrase to say “get back to work after a difficult time”. Those are the three things I wanted to talk about. Perhaps you know of others. I told you, there are many more.

I hope you did not lose the pedals while listening to this show. Otherwise you can get back on track by July 21 when I meet you on podclub.ch or on our application. I’ll talk to you about a beach holiday.

Until then, do not forget to work your vocabulary thanks to the vocabulary function of our application. And join me on Instagram under #PodClubIsabelle and #balades. I kiss you and talk to you soon for a new ride!

[1] to bind: wrap in a warm garment [2] flip-flops (f): light beach shoes usually made of plastic [3] the heatwave: period of intense heat [4] as you go: step by step [5] to spread: to spread in all directions [6] the droplet: small drop of a liquid [7] the neck: part of the neck that is on the back side [8] addicted: (familier) addicted, passionate [9] be careful: be careful [10] to sprinkle: to project a liquid [11] suspicious, -euse: suspicious [12] prevalent: current [13] large area: large supermarket [14] ride: ride on an animal or object and have legs on either side [15] Yellow jersey: yellow t-shirt worn by the rider who occupies first place during the Tour de France, for example [16] The peloton: a group formed of competitors of a race [17] cyclist: person who cycles, cycles [18] in a row: following [19] prizes: list of prizes obtained [20] longevity: long life [21] pedaling: riding a bicycle, operating the pedals of a bicycle [22] semolina: dried cereal grain fragments [23] sauerkraut: Alsatian and German specialty made with white cabbage [24] in vain: unnecessarily, without result [25] fright: (familiar) fear of being seen in front of an audience or during an examination

Hello everyone and welcome to my podcast “Walks” on this June 23rd. You may remember that I spoke to you in my last show of expressions around the theme of pastries. I give you two more that can be heard quite often. To say that something is very easy to do, one can use the expression ” it’s cake “.

“The icing on the cake” refers to a final detail that makes something perfect : “I had a great evening. I was invited to an event organized by my company [1]. We ate very well and in addition, I won the lottery a trip to the Maldives ! It was the icing on the cake.”

For today’s show I’ll make you guess again the name of a personality. And then, it will be a question of the baccalauréat, this almost mythical French exam. My very first subject, will be gardening in town. So, to your shovels [2] and rakes [3], ready, go !

Do you have a green hand [4]? Are plants and their crops your favorite [5]? Even without a garden, in the city one can plant flowers or aromatic herbs for cooking in bins [6] or even small pots. The city of Paris and other cities in France launched an initiative a few years ago to give urban centers a touch of greenery.

Since 2015, Parisians, for example, can apply for a “vegetation permit “. This allows them to install a planter [7] at the corner of their street, To sow flowers at the foot of a tree or to grow climbing plants on a wall. It is therefore a matter of making the city greener, giving life to the gray walls and sometimes sad streets.

On the other hand, you can not plant potatoes or tulips in a public garden. As a public garden is already a green space, it is not concerned by this license. Just like parks and squares [9]. Of course, this initiative does not affect private places either.

To obtain a permit, the future gardener must complete some administrative formalities on the site of the city of Paris. He must describe his project and commit himself to respecting a few rules such as sharing cultivated fruits and vegetables, not using pesticides [10], ensuring the aesthetics of plants and maintaining them. Some town halls even offer kits [11] for beginners with soil and seeds.

Originally, the objective of this project was, above all, ecological, to bring back a little of nature in the cities and their inhabitants. However, it has been observed that these mini-gardens have made it possible to create links between the inhabitants of a street or a neighborhood. People discuss, exchange advice around their plantations and get to know each other.

In the town where I live, the village square is not very attractive. The lack of greenery means that the inhabitants rarely find themselves in this place. A few years ago, a committee of inhabitants launched the initiative to animate this place thanks to several projects. The youth leaders then had the idea, with the teenagers, to plant tomatoes, courgettes and other vegetables in pots fixed on a wooden pallet [12]. These vegetables can be picked by everyone. Nice, is not it ? Are you aware of any other initiatives of this kind ? Tell me in the comments on podclub.ch.

On my last show, I made you guess an actress. It was Marion Cotillard. Bravo once again to Lou who saw this actress for the first time in the movie “The Beautiful Green”. As of today, I will no longer speak to you of films or actors, but I will introduce you to French or French personalities of all kinds. Historical, political, cultural and other personalities

The personality to be found today was born in the first half of the nineteenth century in Dijon of a family of German origin but settled in France for a long time. Besides, his family had a double name. The first name was almost impossible to pronounce for the French. That is why the second part was added to the first name. And finally this second name became the official name that we all know now. But what is the reason for this world renown [13]?

The man we are looking for was an engineer. Its merit is to have specialized in a new technique of construction at the time, using a material much lighter and economical than stone: metal. Even if some of them have been destroyed in the meantime, our engineer and his company’s metal constructions are found all over the world: bridges and viaducts [14] in France, Portugal or Peru, station in Hungary, Vietnam, etc.

He has also participated in projects of great renown such as the Statue of Liberty or the Panama Canal. Nevertheless, he has received financial and legal concerns.
Towards the end of his life, he turned to works around aerodynamics [15] which became very important with the advent [16] of aviation in the early twentieth century.

Did you find out who I was talking to? Not yet ? But I’m sure you’ll find with my last clue. Its most famous building, the symbol of Paris bears its name. Find ? So, write down the name of this engineer in the comments on podclub.ch.

Yesterday the last baccalaureate examinations were completed in France, the national exam, the success of which generally gives access to higher education. The bac, as it is very often called, is every year in the aim of the media. Newspapers, magazines, television shows, … you do not escape. It discusses topics of philosophy or French, the success rate or the appropriate diet for the young people who pass the exams.

Now that the tests are over, the students look forward to announcing the results. Allowed, perhaps even with mention [18] or refitted [19]? That is the question. The results are posted in the schools where the students took the exams on July 5 from 10 am. For those who have successfully begins then the period of the summer vacation. And for their parents too.

But the tank remains in the media even after the announcement of the results … with the beads of the tank. Each year, several newspapers and magazines publish the worst nonsense – and the most amusing – that students have written for exams. Those are two examples. Remember, last year the bac took place at the same time as the Euro 2016. Hard, hard for football fans to focus on exams.

A candidate wrote in the history / geography essay: “If the UK votes” yes “to the Brexit, it will be positive for France. This will make one team less for Euro 2016. “And another candidate in the Philosophy Test:” I think it’s pretty obvious that the less we work, the more happy we are. Spent the entire month of June reviewing the bac, instead of watching the EURO 2016.

As a last word, it remains for me to tell you that last year, they were about 80% to have succeeded. And the broadcast today is already over. I find you in 15 days, on July 7, on podclub.ch or on our application. We will then follow the Tour de France. Until then, do not forget to work your vocabulary thanks to the vocabulary function of our application. And join me on Instagram under #PodClubIsabelle and #balades. I kiss you and tell you soon for a new ride!

Hello everyone and welcome to my podcast “Walks” on this 9th of June. We start today with an actress you have to guess. Then, it will be the moment to take out the rackets [1] and the balls for a small bit of tennis. I will finish this show with some picturesque, very greedy expressions. That you will put in your mouth [2].

The last time I made you guess the movie “The Secret of the Unicorn”, this cartoon where Tintin with his dog Milou and Captain Haddock are looking for an old treasure. Daniel, a big fan of Tintin, noticed the solution first. Bravo.

For today, you have to find the name of a French actress who has already won many international awards. Besides, you may have seen her at the Cannes festival that has just ended. The film in which she plays, was shown at the festival, but it was out of the competition. That is to say, it did not take part in the contest to obtain the golden award, the reward [3] of the Cannes Film Festival. But it was shown at the opening of the festival.

The first time I saw this actress, she was playing in the movie “Taxi”. In this comedy which happens in Marseilles, a taxi driver drives as if he was a Formula 1 driver in a modified Peugeot. One day, his excesses of speed forced him to cooperate with the police to stop a gang of bank robbers [5]. The actress wanted to play the role of the girlfriend of the taxi driver. And then she made appearances in “A Long Sunday Engagement” with Audrey Tautou and finally she starred in “Inception” with Leonardo DiCaprio.

I could cite many other examples, but for her performance as Édith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose”, she got the Golden Globe, BAFTA, César and Oscar for best actress! What else can you say about this actress? She is the muse of the Dior brand, she also sings and she is a Greenpeace activist [6]. Did you guess who I was talking about? So, write down the name of the actress in the comments on podclub.ch.

At the moment, when the French Tennis Championships are playing at Roland Garros, it reminds me of our tennis evenings with my grandparents. At the bottom of the garden was a small road. And just across the road, there were tennis courts [7] that belonged to the community. For a small fee [8], the inhabitants could enjoy these three or four tennis courts. At the time, it was in the 80s, and tennis was a very expensive sport. They had to be part of a tennis club and the contributions [9] were exorbitant [10].

Today, this sport has fortunately been well democratized [11]. It was therefore an opportunity for me to take my first steps in this sport. Since it was the summer and during the day it was too hot, we played tennis at night. The dinners did not end until 9 pm, but we still had at least an hour to play before it was too dark. Since I had to realize very early on that tennis was probably not the sport in which I was going to excel [12], I was limited to picking up the balls of the matches between my mother and my aunt.

They had played tennis in their youth and were doing really well. Besides, the tennis rackets were dated at that time. We found them in the attic. You know, the place where I regularly discovered other treasures … So we stayed until nightfall and then went back through the garden. I liked to walk at night in the garden. Very often, fireflies [13] could be seen in the grass [14]. Curiously, they did not fly. They were there in the grass.

But let’s go back to Roland Garros, as we commonly call this tournament on clay that is part of the Grand Slam. I do not know if you are like me, but I still believed that Roland Garros, who gave his name to the stadium just south of the Bois de Boulogne, was supposed to be an exceptional tennis player. Well no, not at all. In fact, he had absolutely nothing in common with this sport.

Roland Garros was an aviator [16]. He was the first to cross the Mediterranean by plane. It was in 1913. And during the First World War he was a war pilot. He died in combat in 1918, a few weeks before the armistice [17]. When the new stadium was built in 1927, it was decided to pay tribute to this pilot.

Think about this the next time you watch a tennis match. The month of June, for me, is also the cherry season. And what can we do with cherries? Yes, a clafoutis. You do not know of it? It is an easy family dessert but very good. Simply mix 100 g flour, 4 eggs, 80 g sugar, a pinch of salt, half a liter of milk and possibly a little kirsch. Then pour this very liquid dough into a buttered mold [18] and add 500 g of cherries.

In the original recipe, the cherries must not be pitted [19]. But since I do not like to pay attention to the kernels when I eat this dessert and it is even a little dangerous for the children, I always remove the pit of the cherries before. After setting the dish in a preheated oven at 200 ° C for 45 minutes. The result is a cake that has somewhat the consistency of a flan [21].

About flan. Do you know what the pictorial expression means “to remain like two rings of flan?” It means “to be very surprised, stupefied”: “When he told me the news, I remained like two rounds of flan. I did not know what to say. Another pictorial expression which expresses the same thing, is “to remain baba.” The baba with rum is also a dessert. This round cake is soaked [23] with a mixture of sugar syrup and rum after cooking.

I have no idea of the link, or even only if there is a link, between that cake and the pictorial expression. To finish these pastry expressions, I propose this one: “Say, Jacques has not thinned lately. On the contrary, he ate some brioche [24]. When one eats the brioche, usually talking about a man, the person has grown a belly. Like the belly, a brioche is rather round. It’s good, though. What other expressions do you know about cakes? Write them down in the comments on podclub.ch

And that’s the end of our show today. We meet in 15 days on podclub.ch or on our app. It will be June 23 and we will do some gardening [25] together. Until then, do not forget to work on your vocabulary thanks to the vocabulary function of our application. And join me on Instagram under #PodClubIsabelle and #balades. I kiss you and tell you a new ride soon!

[1] racket: instrument used for tennis, badminton or squash
[2] putting water in the mouth: give envy, put in appetite
[3] the reward: what is given as thanks or as prizes
[4] excess : what exceeds the normal amount
[5] the robber: a thief with a firearm
[6] the activist: a person who is fighting for a cause
[7] the tennis court: tennis court
[8] contribution: financial contribution
[9] contribution: financial participation to be a member of a club, for example
[10] exorbitant: excessive, excessive
[11] democratizing: becoming accessible to all
[12] excel: become better than others
[13] firefly: insect that emits light
[14] lawn: grass surface cut regularly
[15] Grand Slam: series of victory in all events. In tennis, it is the tournaments of the Australian Open, Roland Garros, the US Open and Wimbledon.
[16] aviator : pilot of an airplane
[17] the armistice : agreement between two warring parties to stop the fighting
[18] the mold: object in which a paste is poured to give it a shape
[19] pit: removing the core of a fruit
[20] the core: hard part in the center of a fruit such as cherry, apricot, peach
[21] flan: baked egg-based cream
[22] stunned: very surprised
[23] imbiber: impregnate with a liquid
[24] brioche: round pastry made with a dough
[25] gardening: growing a garden

Hello everyone and welcome to my podcast “Walks”. It is May 29th, and today I present to you first the Jardin d’Acclimatation in Paris. My second theme will be the unicorns [1], the legendary animals that can be seen everywhere these days. Finally, you can again guess the title of an animated film. You will see that this film has a link with the second theme of this show.

When I spent my holidays with my grandparents near Paris, I did not really like to go to Paris. It was so big and so crowded. After a day of shopping with my mother, I was always exhausted [2] and often had a headache. So I preferred to stay with my grandparents to play quietly with the dog in the garden. However, there was a trip that I would not miss for anything in the world: a day at the Jardin d’Acclimatation. You have surely heard of the Bois de Boulogne, this immense wooded area [3] more than 8 square kilometers, to the west of Paris.

This green space, a veritable “lung” of the capital, was set up under the initiative of Napoleon III and his wife, Empress Eugenie, in the mid-nineteenth century. When I was a child, I was not interested in all that information. However, what I knew was that there was a place north of the Bois de Boulogne where I always liked to return: the Jardin d’Acclimatation. This part of the Bois de Boulogne was originally designed as a kind of zoo for the introduction and adaptation of animals and plants. Hence the name acclimatization [5].

Today, the Garden is a paradise for children. I loved to take a trip into the back of the garden on pony back and get lost in the labyrinth of mirrors. But I had two favorite attractions. The first was the Enchanted River where one could take a boat ride [6] on a small canal along various landscapes. The current of the canal made the boats move forward. My other favorite attraction was the Petit Train. As the name suggests, it is a small train that runs on very narrow rails [7]. The journey leads from the small station in the Jardin d’Acclimatation to Porte Maillot. Of course, when I was little, we were always going back and forth.

I wanted to enjoy the longest ride. Especially as the little train crosses a road. In my memory, this road was a wide multi-lane boulevard [8]. And the little train blocked traffic for a long time. It was for me the climax of my visit. Since then I have returned to the Jardin d’Acclimatation with my children and they have enjoyed the attractions as much as I did at their age. Today, there are more rides and attractions than I used to be.

Of course, we also went by train. Curiously, the wide boulevard crossed by the little train that I remembered – or thought I remembered – turned out to be a simple road. Nothing very impressive. My memory played a trick on me. Has this happened to you, to keep a false image of something? Or to idealize a memory? Note it in the comments on podclub.ch. I am curious to know what you have to tell.

Are not you interested in rides and small trains? So, take a walk on the side of the Louis Vuitton Foundation located just a step away from the Jardin d’Acclimatation. This private museum inaugurated in 2014 is devoted to the various forms of modern art. The architecture of the building alone is worth the detour. The marriage between the modernity of architecture and the rural environment [10] is in my opinion very successful. Go see for yourself! At the moment, African art is in the spotlight.

Are you someone who follows fashion or fashions? Probably most of us will respond by something in the genre: “I have my own style, I’m not all the trends of the moment. I, too, would answer that. I have gone beyond any trend. But lately, I was surprised to be enthusiastic [11] for anything that resembles a unicorn. I know, it’s ridiculous not to say I’m ridiculous.

But hey, it’s like that. I can not even say how it started. It must be said that unicorns are everywhere right now. Can not escape. Between the unicorn pajamas, the unicorn cup, the unicorn buoy [12] or the rainbow-colored hair, the unicorn is omnipresent in fashion, deco, beauty and even cooking. By being surrounded by these magical creatures, I succumbed [13] to their charm. And at home, I’m not the only one. My 14 year old daughter is even worse than me.

Well, you’re going to say it’s quite normal at his age … and you’re right. Her latest discovery is a charger [14] for a mobile phone in the form of a unicorn. I probably will not resist long, and she knows it. But do not think that my apartment crumbles under the unicorn-colored objects. No, no, I’ve been very reasonable so far. My enthusiasm was limited to the purchase of a single product: makeup brushes shaped like a unicorn’s horn. Even if it’s horribly kitsch, I love it!

And have you, too, fallen under the spell of the unicorns? Or have you been the victim of another trend? Tell me in the comments on podclub.ch. Reassure me that I am not the only one! In my last show, I presented the film “The Ascension” which tells the adventures of a young man who wants to conquer Everest out of love. Bravo to Daniel who found the title.

Today, it’s the turn of an animated film. But as for the movie “Minuscule”, which I presented to you in a previous podcast, I think this film appeals to both children and adults. In fact, this film was not produced in France. The story he tells is from a comic book. This one is not French either, but in French.

What is the action of the film? This is the search for a treasure. For simplicity, it could be said that there are three main characters: a young reporter with his dog, an alcoholic captain and a mysterious gentleman. The treasure, which they are trying to find, was hidden by the captain’s ancestor. On the side of the “wicked” is the mysterious gentleman who is the descendant of an abominable pirate. This pirate had already tried to steal the treasure that was on a ship.

The name of the ship refers to a legendary animal, very fashionable lately. You see what I mean ? This name reappears in the title of the movie and the comic strip. Did you find what movie I’m talking about? As a last clue I can tell you that I told you about this young reporter in my last podcast. Now, this really should not be difficult. Note the title of the film in the comments on podclub.ch and tell me if you know the film. How did you find it?

And that’s already the end of our show today. I will have the pleasure to meet you on podclub.chou on our application in 15 days, June 9th. We will play tennis. Until then, do not forget to work your vocabulary thanks to the vocabulary function of our application. And join me on Instagram under #PodClubIsabelle and #balades. I kiss you and tell you soon for a new ride!

[1] unicorn: animal of legend that resembles a horse with a horn on the forehead[2] sold out: very tired[3] wooded: planted with trees[4] the lung: organ of respiration[5] acclimatization : adapting, for example, animals and plants to a new environment[6] the boat: small boat[7] rail: long piece of steel used for railways[8] the track: path consisting of two parallel rails[9] peak : highest point[10] rustic: relative to the campaign[11] get enthusiastic: take interest with passion[12] buoy: floating object, filled with air, which allows a person to stay on the surface of the water[13] to succumb: not to resist[14] the charger: object which delivers energy to an apparatus[15] crash: being crushed by the weight of something[16] conquer: dominate, master[17] abominable: horrible, atrocious

Hello everyone and welcome to my podcast “Walks”. On this 12th May, I will take you on a journey. We leave the Earth to go into space. We will remain on the same subject for some visual expressions around the word “moon”. Finally, I will tell you about a brand new film, released at the beginning of this year. I am curious to know if you can find the title of this film. Before I begin, I would like to congratulate my colleague Alicia on the Spanish podcast for which it is the 200th broadcast today! Congratulations, dear Alicia. So, are you ready? Then the countdown [1] is launched …

In the house of my grandparents, there was a place that was a real cave [2] of Ali Baba for my sister and me. It was the attic. In this little room under the roof [4], it was almost impossible to advance, as there were objects in it. That’s what made the inspection even more adventurous. My sister and I never knew what new treasure we were going to discover. We especially liked a large cardboard box filled with magazines that my mother, aunt and uncles read when they were children. There was also a record player of my mother in a sort of small blue suitcase. It is a turntable [5] with a built-in loudspeaker [6].

The biggest treasure in the attic was, however, in another cardboard box: the almost complete collection of the “Adventures of Tintin”, this young reporter accompanied by his little white dog named Milou. Among these copies of comics there were several first editions of Tintin. When my mother or one of her brothers and sisters asked my grandfather to buy them a new Tintin, he replied: “Okay, but on condition that I can read it first.” That’s how the collection was completed little by little. My sister and I spent hours reading and re-reading the “Adventures of Tintin”. Besides, it was in one of these comics [7] that I learned to read in French.

One of my favorite albums is “Moon Objective” and his suite “We walked on the Moon”. These two adventures, published 16 and 15 years before the first man actually put a foot on the Moon, have always fascinated me. And then, the story told is very entertaining, as always. Hergé, the creator of Tintin, was truly a visionary.

But let us return to the present. And here, space always keeps its share of fascination. At the moment, a French astronaut, Thomas Pesquet, Is in the international space station [8] for a mission of about six months. Pesquet took off in November last year from Baikonur in Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz ship [9] and has to make several trips for maintenance [10] on the space station. He regularly posts photographs on Instagram of the whole world, also of France seen from very high, in particular of his native Normandy. Go to #thom_astro.

Let us stay somewhat in space with some pictorial expressions around the moon. When astronaut Thomas Pesquet is on a mission outside the space station, he must not be in the moon. This could have fatal consequences. On the contrary, it must absolutely focus on what it does. When someone is in the moon, then it is distracted [11] or dreamer because he might think of something else. Have you ever asked the moon for someone ? Or someone he has you won [12] the moon? Someone who asks for the moon expresses or demands an impossible wish.

If your leader asks you to finish a job in a very short time and you have no chance of success, then he asks you for the moon. One could say that unhooking the moon means just the opposite and means realizing the impossible.” Ah, Damien is so nice. He would unhook the moon to make me happy.” When you’re so in love, it may end in honeymoon. Formerly, the honeymoon meant the month following the wedding, [13] whereas today the expression is often synonymous with a honeymoon.

And to finish, I give you a funny expression with the moon. In your opinion, What does it mean to “make the moon appear in broad daylight?”. When someone shows his moon in broad daylight it is that he shows his buttocks [14] to everyone. If I saw someone’s naked behind, then I can say that I saw the moon in broad daylight.

For today, I propose a film that I have not had the opportunity to see. In fact, I do not think this film has gone into cinemas in Zurich. Maybe you could see it somewhere. In any case, it came out in France in January 2017. But as the DVD should soon be on sale in stores, I will catch up with this shortcoming soon.

So why am I talking about a movie I do not know? Well, On the one hand I liked the trailer [16] of the film. I do not know why, but it made me think a little about “Untouchables”, even though the story is completely different. This seems like a movie that puts you in a good mood. There are a lot of funny scenes. On the other hand, there is a link with one of the pictorial expressions I proposed to you earlier. You will immediately see which. The film tells the story of Samy, a young Senegalese native, the unemployment [17], who lives in the 9-3.

It is thus commonly called the department of Seine-Saint-Denis in the north of Paris. In France, each department has a code, a number. The Seine-Saint-Denis has the number 93. Let’s go back to Samy. For an eternity, he is in love with Nadia and tries to seduce her [18].

But she does not believe he is sincere. One day, Samy told Nadia that he would climb up Everest to show how much he loved her. You now see what I meant; He would unhook the moon for Nadia. Nadia, she thinks he mocks [19] her and that it is a simple joke. The bet is concluded. Now Samy must pass from words to deeds. He begins to train, to walk, gives interviews to radios, And finally leaves for the Himalayas. He is not at the end of his troubles. Meanwhile, his family, his friends, Nadia and even the whole of France follow Samy’s journey [20]. Will he succeed in winning his bet? Set foot on the roof of the world?

Will Nadia finally fall in love with him? Even if I knew the end, I would not tell you. I am very curious to know how this story ends. To help you find the title of this film, I can give you a synonym. It is “the ascent”. Another clue is that the word in the movie title is the same word used for the Christian festival celebrated very soon. If you found the title of the film, write it down in the comments on podclub.ch and tell me how you found the trailer. Do you want to see this film in the movies or on DVD?

Our broadcast today is coming to an end. I hope to find you all on podclub.ch or on our application in a little more than 15 days, on Monday 29 May due to the Ascension. I’ll talk to you about a park in Paris that kids love. Until then, do not forget to work your vocabulary thanks to the vocabulary function of our application. And join me on Instagram under #PodClubIsabelle and #balades. I kiss you and tell you soon for a new ride!

[1] the timer : the reliance of the highest digit to zero
[2] the cave : cave
[3] the attic : room or floor that is located under the roof
[4] Roof : Cover a building
[5] the turntable : disc reproducing apparatus
[6] the speaker : device that transforms electrical signals into sound
[7] trailer : coming attractions
[8] space : on the space
[9] the ship : ship
[10] maintenance : maintenance
[11] distracted :otherwise concentrate or attentive
[12] win : remove what is attached
[13] the wedding : marriage or festivities on the occasion of a marriage
[14] buttock : one of the two round parts which form the behind
[15] film lover : moviegoer
[16] trailer : excerpts from a film to advertise
[17] unemployment : situation of a person who has no work
[18] To seduce : to please, to charm
[19] to mock : to ridicule
[20] the journey : great journey, expedition [16] the little queen: the bicycle
[17] greenway: road or road for non-motorized travel
[18] being fond of: being passionate about